In the Pope's Eye

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In the Pope's Eye
Il-papocchio-poster.jpg
Directed by Renzo Arbore
Written byRenzo Arbore
Luciano De Crescenzo
Produced byMario Orfini
Emilio Bolles
StarringRenzo Arbore
Roberto Benigni
Cinematography Luciano Tovoli
Music byRenzo Arbore
Release date
  • 1980 (1980)
Running time
110 min (original cut)
  • 98 min (home video cut)
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

In the Pope's Eye (Italian : Il pap'occhio) is a 1980 Italian comedy film written and directed by Renzo Arbore.

Contents

It was released in September 1980, and it was heavily attacked by the Catholic press. Three weeks later it was confiscated "for insulting the Catholic religion and the person of the Holy Pope" on the orders of the L'Aquila prosecutor Donato Massimo Bartolomei. [1] [2] [3]

The film grossed 5 billion lire being the 5th best grossing film in Italy in the 1980/1981 season. [1]

Plot

Musician Renzo Arbore has a vision of Don Gabriel, who comes bringing an Annunciation from the Vatican: Gabriel announces that Pope John Paul II, watching television, was impressed by a beer commercial in which Arbore was the spokesman. Arbore is thus to be hired as the artistic director of the newly-formed but poorly organized Vatican State Television. Following this announcement, Arbore and his company arrive at the Vatican to begin work. Meanwhile, Cardinal Richelieu, a bigoted conservative prelate, plots to destroy the initiative and ruin Arbore.

Cast

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References

  1. 1 2 "Cinema: 'Pap'occhio' in dvd, Arbore "oggi non farei film sul Papa". Agenzia Giornalistica Italia . 19 April 2010. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  2. Irene Bignardi (19 October 1998). "Musical stravagante per niente blasfemo". La Repubblica . Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  3. Marco Giusti (1999). Dizionario dei film italiani stracult. Sperling & Kupfer, 1999. ISBN   8820029197.